


Of Brothers and Men

by eirikaextract



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Aftermath of Chapter 25 in Conquest, Angst, Crying, Feels, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 04:46:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7999099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eirikaextract/pseuds/eirikaextract
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the death of his eldest Hoshidian sibling, Corrin feels wracked and emotionally repressed. Angst and crying ensues as he mourns Ryouma's demise, and only the help of his beloved can make him feel whole again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Brothers and Men

**Author's Note:**

> After Chapter 25 of the Conquest path of Fates, I spent some time pondering what would have happened if Corrin was able to return to the Astral Plane after the battle. This ansgty fluff between Niles and Corrin ensued.

Corrin gingerly reached out to close the oaken door, the gentle creak it omitted clashing with the prince’s internal turmoil. Vivid images of Ryoma’s collapsing body flashed behind his eyes, the splattering blood turning more scarlet and prominent each time it replayed in his--no, he couldn’t think about it. 

The Nohrian noble let out a shuddering sigh as he slowly curled in on himself, running his battle-worn, calloused fingers along the plush, auburn surface of his bedroom carpet. The red carpet. Red, the color of Ryoma’s noble chin armor. Red, the color of the slick floors of the Hoshidan castle. Red, the color of Ryoma’s blood casting scarlet stains on--.

Corrin jerked his head up, his teeth clamping down on his lip hard enough to draw blood. His grip on the carpet tightened to the point at which his scarred knuckles turned white. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, like little needle points jabbing their tips into his crimson irises. 

He shook his head violently from side to side. A prince of Nohr was not allowed to reveal such a blatant show of emotion. He was to be unfeeling, stoic, and merciless. He should take pride in murdering his enemies in a single fell swoop of his blade. He should--

A choked, heart-wrenching sob aggressively ripped itself out of Corrin’s chest, echoing throughout the room. The prince’s body heaved as he fought to keep his tears inside, not allowing them to fall beyond his eyelashes. It was a battle that he was quickly losing. 

A lone tear escaped the controlled clutches of his eyelashes and slowly rolled down Corrin’s pale, exhausted face. The man no longer had the energy to fight anything anymore, and did nothing to stop the torrent of tears that flooded down his face as he violently wept. His entire body quivered, his shoulders erratically heaving every time a new wave of emotion drowned Corrin. 

Corrin swallowed heavily and ran his fingers up into his hair, disturbing his circlet. The prince barely registered the faint opening and shutting of the bedroom door, followed by pattering footsteps as the entering figure hastily rushed toward him. 

No words were exchanged as Niles wrapped his lean arms around Corrin, pulling his husband’s trembling body close to his own with no intentions of ever releasing the man. Niles’ greasy hair, which was the color of white spots sprinkled across a fawn’s pure flank, was unkempt and reeked of blood. The metallic stench flooded Corrin’s nostrils, but didn’t deter him from burying his blotchy, tear-strained face into the outlaw’s chest.

“Your pain must be unfathomable right now, little prince,” Niles softly murmured into Corrin’s ear. The man’s silky voice conveyed no sadism or eroticism, much to Corrin’s later surprise, and instead was veiled with concern and gentleness. His calloused hands found their way to Corrin’s heaving back and rubbed soothing, circular motions into it. “Let it all out.”  
In a moment that was both too short and too long, the last of Corrin’s willpower shattered, and his entire body convulsed as he released his pent up sobs. His tears soaked the linen of Niles’ navy shirt, his balled-up fists desperately clutching the fabric as though it was a lifeline connecting him to sanity. Corrin was vaguely aware of Niles’ soothing arms tousling his chestnut hair, rhythmically stroking and comforting the man. The room was deathly silent, like the depths of an abandoned forest in the dead of night time, save for Corrin’s strangled gasps for air and his choked cries.

After several minutes, Niles gently cupped Corrin’s jaw with the same soft caress of a mother to her newborn. Corrin drew his head back slightly and met his husband’s cerulean gaze. Unbridled affection, sympathy, compassion, and, to an extent, pain, swam around in Niles’ narrowed eyes, like clusters of tuna fish in a pond. Corrin released his clammy fingers from Niles’ moist shirt, his breath beginning to steady. Niles gingerly removed his fingers from Corrin’s locks of soot-coated, oak-colored hair and instead reached down to grasp Corrin’s quivering hands. The outlaw intertwined his slender fingers with Corrin’s and firmly squeezed his hands in a comforting manner. Corrin managed to pull the corners of his quivering lips up into a shaky grin as he disentangled himself from the clutches of his husband, stretching out his sore limbs once he stood up. Within mere seconds, Niles had risen to his feet as well, patting himself down to shake dust off of his waistcoat.

It was only after this that Corrin knew that he would heal from his wounds at some point, as long as Niles was by his side.


End file.
